


Tangled Together

by PrincessToby



Category: Black Widow (Comics), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Avengers Tower, Bad French, Canon-Typical Violence, Cute, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Paris (City), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Red Room (Marvel), Secret Identity, Secret Relationship, Undercover Missions, i dont want to give too much away but at some point there will be babies
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-28
Updated: 2018-06-18
Packaged: 2019-04-13 23:51:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,412
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14123550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrincessToby/pseuds/PrincessToby
Summary: Natasha takes a mission alone in Paris after a US Diplomat is murdered. It is there that she subsequently meets, and can't stop meeting, Lottie Lane, an American in Paris who runs a confectionary company.From there a difficult sort of relationship forms, because how exactly are you meant to have any sort of normal relationship when you are the Black Widow.----This story features Lottie Lane, who is also in my story Beatrice and the Beast.





	1. Preface

"Oui... Oui... Oui, madame... Je vous remercie..." The french words rolled off Lottie's tongue as if they were not her second language. She hung up the phone and shoved it inside her clutch as it was her turn to order coffee. The cafe was small, but it had a lovely view of the Arc de Triomphe and was near her office, and it was her go to. She hadn't taken her blazer with her on her break, leaving her in a fitted button-up and tight pants. The morning had been busy, and all she wanted now was a coffee and eclair. Surprisingly, even though she ran a confectionary company, she still loved sweets.

Something that Lottie had no clue of, was that this very cafe was a favorite spot for a long term, most wanted hitman. His name was Bertrand Charbonneau, or Trois Couteaux as he was known in many circles, and he had just recently assassinated an American Diplomat. Charbonneau was currently sitting in the cafe, leisurely drinking espresso, unaware that he was being watched. His watcher was none other than Natasha Romanov, aka the Black Widow, sent by the Avengers in order to capture Charbonneau and take him back to America.

Natasha, or Adele Martin as her cover stated, was waiting on her coffee as she feigned interest in the window behind Charbonneau. Her training allowed her to notice everything happening in the room even though she was seemingly in a trance. Heightened senses captured every movement, including the fact that at the very moment Lottie Lane was tripping into her. In a swift movement, Natasha saved her from falling and steadied her on her feet.

Lottie let out a string of English curses under her breath before raising her eyes to meet Natasha's.

"Je suis profondément désolé..." She mumbled softly, biting her lip. She was embarrassed at her clumsy nature, and at the fact that she had been seemingly rescued by this woman.

"Pas de problème." Natasha answered cooly, offering up a soft smile before grabbing her coffee as her alias was called out. Lottie's order was called out just after and she took it to leave, not realizing that she would be seeing the woman that saved her soon.


	2. Chapter 2

 The US Embassy was holding a charity gala in honor of the late diplomat, and naturally anyone of note was in attendance. This included Bertrand Charbonneau, as his family were rather prominent in Parisian society. No one other than the Avengers and Charbonneau's own family knew that he was Trois Couteaux, and he liked it that way. By day he was simply a member of the Paris elite. Natasha had scored herself an invite because Adele Martin, her cover, was a guest of Tony Stark's (the billionaire just happened to be in Paris in time for the gala).

Also in attendance was Lottie Lane, as she was the current president of one of the oldest confectionary companies in Paris. Lottie Lane also knew Mr. Stark, as her company had been a prime source of confectionary gifts for Tony and Pepper over the years. So it made sense when she saw him, that she would go up to him.

"Ah, Mr. Stark, lovely to see a familiar face." Lottie's black hair hung in[ soft curls ](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/f6/50/3d/f6503ddf030cb74cf251495cf978044a.jpg)at her back, the bubbling glass of champagne in her hand matching the color of her[ dress. ](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/76/87/91/768791819bc0d07f0a3944e588a41ddd.jpg)Her tan skin glowed against the pale color of her dress. Tony greeted her with a wide smile and his usual antics, but Lottie's attention was quickly drawn to Natasha who was standing a few steps away and sipping on a martini. Lottie couldn't help but notice her[ bright red nails](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/95/66/6d/95666dba5c6d6be6d773d44f14bdd5c9.jpg), and the contrast they made against her[ black dress. ](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/3e/59/23/3e5923225df08eedc3c35dd18fc2a143.jpg)She looked powerful, yet seemed so reserved.

"Tony, aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?" Lottie gestured towards Natasha, who was sporting a short,[ blonde wig ](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/7d/6f/22/7d6f22a90570aea7b532cf680c13a473.jpg)tonight.

"Lottie this is-" He was cut off by Natasha.

"Adele. Adele Martin." She smiled her bright, hypnotizing smile, and gently leaned in to kiss Lottie on either cheek.

"Lovely to meet you, Adele. I didn't realize Tony would be here, or that he would have such lovely company." She let out a bit of a giggle, giving Tony a jab in the arm. Lottie couldn't help but notice that even though they were both in heels, it was rather obvious how much taller Natasha was than her.

Lottie was pulled away from the conversation by a tap on the shoulder.

"Bertrand! Il me fait plaisir de vous revoir." She smiled wide as she leaned in to kiss his cheeks. The two connected for a moment, French expressions flying, until Lottie took his hand and turned back to Tony and Natasha.

"Tony, Adele, have you met my friend Bertrand?" She asked, looking between the four of them.

"Hello." He greeted, his accent heavy on the word. He took Natasha's hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it, before offering Tony a handshake. The pair were notoriously good at acting as nothing was happening, but it was still a shock that he was practically handed over to them. Natasha couldn't act now, since they were in such a public place, but at least she made his acquaintance easily. "Would you like to dance?" He asked Natasha, holding his hand out to her. She nodded and the pair swept away to the dance floor.

"I suppose I should ask you to dance then, hm?" Tony asked with a laugh, taking Lottie's hand so they could dance as well.

* * *

By the end of the night, Natasha had learned quite a bit of information on Bertrand which included where his penthouse was located. She, Tony, and Lottie had reconvened now, and Lottie was quite drunk. She couldn't stop giggling, using Tony's arm to keep herself upright.

"Do you think you could take her home?" He asked Natasha, who complied instantly knowing that he had to get back to New York. Natasha was able to support Lottie easily, since she technically could have lifted Lottie over her head with no problem. The pair went back to Lottie's in a cab, Lottie babbling about cats for one reason or another, while leaning on Natasha's shoulder.

They made their way up to[ Lottie's apartment](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/83/47/09/83470927637b9cf19d423625734912d0.jpg), Natasha pulling her more than half of the way. Natasha was the one to unlock the door, as Lottie dropped the keys several times on the way up.

"Come on, myshka. Time for bed." Natasha couldn't help but laugh a bit as Lottie kicked her shoes to the side and sat on the floor. Natasha simply scooped her up and carried her into the bedroom. "Where are your pajamas, myshka?" She asked, receiving a lack luster point from Lottie. Natasha found a large t-shirt and grabbed it, deciding it was going to be the easiest thing to get Lottie in. She slipped it over Lottie's head before unzipping her dress swiftly and letting it fall to the floor.

Lottie rolled over in the bed and curled into a ball as Natasha did her best to hang up the gown. By time Natasha returned to Lottie's side, the girl was already sleeping. Natasha cracked a small smile as she shook her head, tucking her in gently and pushing her hair from her face.

In the morning when Lottie woke, the only thing to remind her of the night was at was on the table beside her bed. There were two pills for the headache, a glass of water, and a note that said to sleep it off, signed with a heart.

It would be nearly a week before Lottie saw Natasha again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Myshka means little mouse and I just think that is the cutest term of endearment!


	3. Chapter 3

The conditions under which Natasha and Lottie met under for the third time, weren't exactly ideal. Bertrand had caught onto a tip that Adele may be trying to get something from him, he didn't know that she was really the Black Widow but he knew he was going to have to get rid of her. The best way to do that? Good old fashioned black mail and sabotage.

Bertrand was going to kidnap Miss Lottie Lane, and make it seem like Adele/Natasha had done it.

* * *

Lottie spent most of her morning in a meeting, speaking to representatives from different branches of the company. She was tired from the back and forth, and looking forwards to a nice relaxing meal on the banks of the Seine. She had been invited to lunch by Bertrand, an old friend who seemed to know she needed a break.. or so she thought.

Lottie held onto this thought until she found herself waking up in a strange place. Surely she had just drifted off in the cab, she repeated to her self as she gazed around the barren room. That didn't explain why she was currently tied by wrist and ankle to a chair, or why her head hurt so badly. She tried to call out, but her eyelids just felt so heavy and she couldn't help but fall back asleep.

* * *

"Nat, you've got to see this." Tony's voice came buzzing through Natasha's earpiece. She pulled out her phone to look at the file Tony was referencing and had just sent to her. It was live footage of Bertrand, in his gear and nondescript black balaclava as Trois Couteaux, standing before an unconscious Lottie. It was hard to tell at first that it was Lottie, with her hair and clothes a mess, but once Bertrand started to talk everything was clear.

"Bonjour, Stark, Miss Adele. I think you both know my friend here?" He laughed deeply, lifting Lottie's chin so her face was facing the screen. Tony's screen went black, but the feed continued to play for Natasha.

"Nat, do you have visual?" Tony called out, trying to get the feed back online any way he could.

"Affirmative." The word rolled off her tongue as she stared intently at what was happening on her screen.

"If you didn't already know, Stark cannot see me anymore. I've limited the feed to only you, Adele.. as my business only concerns you." He hummed smugly, playing with a hunting knife as he paced back and forth before the camera. "I believe you know too much about me, Adele... and I just can't have that." He flashed a smile, stopping right before the camera lens.

Lottie stirred a bit in the background, but didn't wake. Natasha knew that she was at least alive, this allowed her to relax the slightest bit.

"I'm sure you wonder what I want, hm?" He asked, tossing the knife so it hit Lottie right in the shin. Lottie jolted awake with a cry of pain, quickly muffled by one of Bertrand's goons who covered her mouth with his large, gloved hand. "I want you to turn yourself in to me, in return for this lovely lady here." He grinned again, snapping his fingers. With that his knife was retrieved for him, only to be thrown again. This time it hit Lottie in the shoulder, her eyes widening before she passed out again from the pain. "You come to me and I'll let her go.. if not, I kill her and make it look like it was you. You'll never be able to show your face in Paris again."

Natasha was able to keep eerily cool through it all. She had calculated the damage to Lottie, and by her calculations she would definitely be alright until she could get to her. The feed cut off and all that was left on the screen were coordinates. Natasha called them out to Tony quickly, receiving an address almost as quickly. She refused Tony's suggestion for back up, not telling him anything of what she saw when his feed cut out. She had been too careless, this was her fight and hers alone. Tony would have to wait for the debriefing to hear how things went.

* * *

In just under seven minutes, Natasha was dropping down from the air vent directly over Bertrand. She had scoped things out and to her surprise, he had only three other men there with him. This was going to be easy, he had definitely underestimated her. Bertrand saw none of it coming, only seeing brief flashes of the shine of Natasha's suit as she swiftly took him down.

It only took two shots from her own pistol, and one from one of the goons, to take out the other three men. With the three men down and Bertrand knocked unconscious and tied up, Natasha directed her energy towards Lottie. She wasn't bleeding too horribly, and thankfully was still out of it which meant she wouldn't feel a thing.

Tony sent a crew for them along with a few IronMan suits to clean up any sort of scene. 


	4. Chapter 4

Lottie's eyes rolled open slowly, gazing around the room at what was around her. It was all white, with different colored lights and various machines. A hospital? She rolled her head to the side, looking over to a big window. There was a man there in a lab coat, a doctor presumably, and next to him was... Adele? But her hair was different. It was red now, a curly bob above her shoulders. How long had she been out?

 

"Well good morning, Miss Lottie." Tony's voice sang as he neared the end of Lottie's bed. Lottie shifted her head slowly, a little smile forming on her lips as she saw his familiar face. "Don't move too much there, Doc says you've got about 30 stitches in you and plenty of pain killers." Tony sat down on the edge of the bed, lying his hand gently on Lottie's leg.

 

"Where am I?" Lottie mumbled out, staring up at Tony. She could barely stay awake, eyes fluttering.

 

"Avengers Tower, New York City!" Tony beamed, slipping his sunglasses off and placing them in his breast pocket. "This would be our personal med bay, and..." Tony kept talking but Lottie fell asleep again. 

 

* * *

 

When Lottie woke up again, there were two people in her door. It was the doctor and Adele, they were talking about something, it took a minute for Lottie to understand what it was.

 

“She’ll be fine, Nat. You don’t have to keep coming down here, when she wakes up you’ll....” The doctor stopped talking when Natasha elbowed him, the pair turning around to look at Lottie. She cracked a soft smile, caught in her staring.

 

“How are you feeling..?” Natasha asked cooly, crossing her arms over her chest. She was dressed comfortably in cut off black jeans and a boxy black tee, with simple black sneakers to pair it together.

 

“Sleepy mostly..” Lottie hummer softly, watching the doctor as he left the room. Natasha sat down next to Lottie’s bed, looking her over. 

 

“Doc says you have 33 stitches.” Natasha said, her eyes locking with Lottie’s for a moment.

 

“He called you Nat... that’s a weird nickname for Adele.” Lottie let out a little smile, raising an eyebrow as she lied there. Natasha ignored this, looking towards the door and mentally noting to yell at Bruce later. “Why am I here?” Lottie asked, letting Natasha ignore her earlier question.

 

“Bertrand.. Your friend, as you put it, turns out to be a rather bad man. Do you remember any of it? He took you and-“ Natasha was cut off as Tony entered the room again with the doctor. 

 

“We caught him, so don’t worry yourself.” Tony beamed, his usual smile plastered on his face. He had a muffin on a little tray and brought it over to Lottie, setting it down next to her. “Carrot, your favorite, Pepper remembered.” Lottie thanked him quietly, shifting to sitting with his help. “This is Dr. Bruce Banner, he helped take care of you since we’re a bit understaffed at the moment.”

 

Bruce waved softly, adjusting his glasses. “None of your injuries were too severe so it was nothing I couldn’t handle… You’ll be sore for a while though…” Lottie nodded to this, tearing off a bit of the muffin and eating it slowly. 

“When can I leave?” Lottie asked, looking around the room from face to face. Tony shifted slightly, but it was Natasha who answered.

 

“It would be best if you stayed for a while… A few days to a few weeks.” This made Lottie practically choke on her muffin. 

 

“No, no, no… I can’t stay here, I have a company to run. My life is in Paris, this isn’t even the same time zone..!” Bruce placed a hand gently on Lottie’s arm as he watched her start to get worked up. 

 

“There may still be some bad people trying to get to you, Lottie. You’re safest here, with the team, where we can watch you.” Tony cut in, handing Lottie a small cup of water. 

 

“Is that why Adele is here too? Did he hurt her?” Lottie’s eyes turned to Natasha, who seemed to want to be anywhere but here.

 

“Adele..?” Tony thought for a moment before Natasha smacked his arm. “Ah, right. Adele… Actually, Lot, Adele’s one of us and her name isn’t even Adele…!” Tony was pulled to the corner of the room by Natasha who berated him in hushed whispers. 

 

Lottie turned to Bruce during this, gazing at him as she ate a bit more muffin. “That’s why you called her Nat.” She thought aloud, nodding as Natasha pulled Tony back to the group. 

 

“Sorry about that, Lott, Natasha here,” He pointed over to her with his thumb. “Didn’t seem to think you could be trusted. I explained to her that you’re no stranger to the world of Superheros and Mutants, and that it was fine.” 

 

Lottie laughed gently, mostly amused at the way Natasha seemed to hold power over Tony. “I see.. Still, regardless of who she is and who you are, I can’t stay here. I just can’t.” Lottie tried to get up, pulling at the IV in her arm. Bruce winced as she did it and Natasha quickly pulled her hand away. 

 

“You’re safe here.” She said simply, placing Lottie’s hand down next to her. She shot Lottie a glare as she did so, daring her to try and pull it out again, and see what Nat would do. “We can watch you here.”

 

“Can’t you watch me in Paris though…?” Lottie asked tentatively, keeping Natasha’s steady gaze for a moment before breaking it and looking to Tony for some relief. 

 

“We don’t have anyone in Paris to watch you..” Tony said, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. He knew he should have made Pepper come down instead. 

 

“Aren’t there French superheroes?” Lottie pleaded, keeping eye contact with him and pouting just enough for it to be noticeable.

 

“I mean yes but…” Tony started, but Natasha cut in.

 

“We don’t get along the greatest with the French Government or Les Heroes de Paris.” She said rather simply, a gentle shrug of her shoulders.

 

“Well, I’m sorry that you don’t get along, but I’m going back to Paris one way or another. I’m not going to let my family’s company go under just because someone might be out to get me.” Lottie sat herself up a bit more, looking to each of the others in the room. 

 

* * *

 

Only a few hours later, Pepper was helping Lottie put her hair into a single, long braid. She had no makeup on and there were a few bruises visible on her deep skin as it peeked out from bandages and the clothes Pepper had lent her. A faded, maroon MIT tee hung from her slender shoulders and black leggings covered her feet. She was also in a pair of flip-flops that Pepper had sent Tony to the drug store to fetch, since their shoe sizes were so different.

 

“And you’re sure you want to go?” Pepper asked, securing the end of Lottie’s hair with a small hair tie. Lottie nodded her head gently.

 

“I need to, Pepper.” She answered softly.

 

“I know, I’m just making sure.” Pepper couldn’t help but smile as she stepped around front of the other woman. “And you’ll make an appointment with the doctor as soon as you get there? And you’ll make sure your stitches stay clean? And eat well? And call if anything happens?”

 

Lottie laughed gently. “Yes, mom. I’ll be good, promise.” She hugged Pepper tightly as she stood from the ottoman she had been resting on.


End file.
